On Monday, April 28, 2014, Tribal leaders, state
dignitaries, Tribal employees, and community members gathered at
Tribal Headquarters in Durant to witness an historic event Gary
Batton's inauguration as the 47th Chief of the Choctaw people in
Oklahoma.

Selecting leadership is an important right of any sovereign
people. This right has been preserved and codified by the Choctaw
people through a series of Tribal constitutions. In these
documents, Choctaw people have laid out a structure for
self-governance.

In taking the oath of office, Chief Batton swore to protect the
Constitution of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The current Choctaw
constitution was created in 1983. It establishes the framework
through which our Chief, Assistant Chief, Tribal Council, and
Judicial System work. Under this constitution, the Tribe as a
dependent sovereign nation within the United States, has been able
to create programs that provide the opportunities that we currently
enjoy for economic, political, and cultural growth.

Through the 1800s and early 1900s, Choctaw leaders witnessed
many changes. In 1818, at the request of Choctaw leadership,
missionaries began moving in the Nation bringing American education
and Christianity. To adapt to these changes the Choctaw leaders
created the Choctaw Lighthorsemen in order to provide law and order
where traditional family law systems began to wane. In 1826 Choctaw
leaders began to draft what would be the first constitution for the
Choctaw people. However, in 1830 the draft was interrupted by
Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek that forced the Choctaw Nation to
move to what is today Oklahoma (Milligan 2003:37) (Debo
1961:45).

In 1834, following the removal, Choctaw leaders signed the first
Choctaw constitution. The Leaders agreed that Nanih Waiya, near the
present town of Tuskahoma, would be the capitol. This constitution
established three Choctaw districts, as had existed in Mississippi
prior to Removal. These were named after three prominent Chiefs,
Moshulatubbee, Apuk shunnubbee and Pushmataha. Each district had
its own Chief. They were aided by 27-member Tribal Council. The
Lighthorseman acted as the judges and carried out punishments for
crimes committed against the Nation (Milligan 2003:97-98) (Debo
1961:74).

In 1837, the Chickasaw people were removed from their homelands
into the Choctaw Nation, with many of them settling in the western
part of the Nation. A new constitution was ratified in 1838 at the
Nation's capitol at Nvnih Waiya. This constitution created a fourth
District, the Chickasaw District as well as establishing four
powers of government; the legislative power with a General Council,
the executive power consisting of three district Chiefs, the
judicial power consisted of a Supreme Court and Inferior Courts,
and a military power that created a general in each district. The
declaration of individuals' rights was included in the constitution
and guaranteed individuals trial by jury. The addition of the
judicial power limited the role of the Lighthorseman to law
enforcement (Milligan 2003:98) (Debo 1961:74-76) (1838
Constitution).

Amendments were made to the Constitution in 1842 and 1850. By
the first, the General Council was split into a Senate and a House
of Representatives, and the Military power was removed. Instead a
clause was added for a militia to be raised by the General Council
and the Chiefs in times of need or war. In 1850, changes were made
to the judicial powers that removed the inferior courts and
replaced them with District Circuit Courts and County Courts. The
capitol was relocated to Doaksville (Milligan 2003:98) (Debo
1961:74-76) (1842 Constitution) (1850 Constitution).

In 1855, the Choctaw Nation signed a treaty with the United
States and the Chickasaw Nation, transferring a portion of the
Western Choctaw Lands to the Chickasaw Nation. Today the same line
is used to separate the two Nations. Due to the withdrawal of the
Chickasaw District from Choctaw Nation, a new constitution was
needed. It was signed in 1857 at Skullyville. This constitution
changed the executive powers from the District Chiefs to a single
Governor and adopted the Great Seal of the Choctaw Nation, a
version of which, is still used today (Milligan 2003:98) (Debo
1961:75-76) (1857 Constitution).

Due to political issues with the Skullyville Constitution a new
constitution was signed into effect in Doaksville in 1860. This
constitution added a district called the Hotubbee district; this
was comprised of leased lands located to the west of the Chickasaw
Nation. Additionally, the title of Governor was replaced by
Principal Chief and the District Chiefs were brought back into
existence, although as subordinates to the Principal Chief. A
National Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor and Attorney were also added
to the executive powers. The Lighthorseman and militia would be
under the jurisdiction of the Principal Chief (Milligan 2003:98)
(Debo 1961:74) (1860 Constitution).

The 1860 Doaksville Constitution gave a foundation for the
Choctaw leaders to guide the Nation through what would be many more
hard periods for Choctaw people. Soon after this constitution was
ratified, the American Civil War erupted. The Choctaw Nation was
brought into the conflict leaving many families destitute in the
following years of reconstruction. In 1884, an amendment changed
the Nation's capitol to Tvshka Homma. A few years later, the Dawes
Commission and the Curtis Act came into effect, in many ways
temporarily ending the sovereignty of the Tribe in 1906. Beginning
in 1910 Choctaw Chiefs were appointed by the U.S. President. This
continued until 1970, when efforts by the Choctaw people saw a
return to greater self-determination (Milligan 2003:229).

In 1971, Chief Harry J.W. Belvin became the first elected
Choctaw Chief in 65 years. In 1978, a General Council was formed to
help create a new constitution for the Choctaw Nation. Within a
year, the Council had drafted the first constitution officially
adopting "The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma" as the Tribe's official
name. This constitution established a three branch system of
government: a legislative department consisting of a Tribal
Council, an executive department consisting of the Chief, and a
judicial department consisting of a Supreme Court. In 1983, a new
constitution was signed, which created the position of Assistant
Chief to be appointed by the Chief with approval of the Tribal
Council. Additionally, the Tribal Council was reduced from 15
members to 12 members (Milligan 2003:245-246) (1979 Constitution)
(1983 Constitution).

Today the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is the third largest tribe
in the United States. Daily we enforce our sovereignty through our
many businesses, our political representation with the federal,
state, and local governments, and through our language &
culture. Without our Constitution, the Tribe could not achieve such
success nor would it be able to realize its mission to the Choctaw
people; To achieve healthy, successful, productive, and
self-sufficient lifestyles for a proud nation of Choctaws.

Debo, Angie 1961. The Rise and Fall of the Choctaw Republic.
University of Oklahoma Press. 45-74.

1838. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation
1842. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation
1850. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation
1857. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation
1860. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation
1979. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation
1983. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation

This article and others came from the Choctaw
Nation Biskinik. To see more history please refer to the following
sites.